Never
by pinktears
Summary: AU. "Where did we go wrong?" "...I don't know..." "There is no us, because we can never be together." A story about a broken promise, and a love that survived against all odds. SasuNaru. Rated R-21.
1. Prologue: Eternal Summer

**Hi fellow readers and fans of Naruto!! It is my honor to present to you pinktears' first Fanfic on Naruto!! -throw streamers and roses- Haha. This story just sorta sprung into my head while reading other fanfics online and I wrote the prologue straight away. And just to point out, my strength is not in English and I may not be able to express some of my thoughts vividly, BUT, I really really hope that you readers would stick to me till the end. I would really really really appreciate that! (Although I must say I fail terribly at updating, sorry!) Lol, so pls read and review, flames are most welcomed.**

**ALERT!! Okay, I would really like a beta reader to help me edit my most likely poorly done ficiton. But I don't know how or where to get a beta reader. Help anyone?**

**Inspirations: ****The Pumpkin Patch**** by ****Rasengan22**** (My main inspiration. It's super cute, you have to read it), Gravitation (The idea came up when I was watching the anime. So I guess it's sorta an inspiration too...)**

**Summary: AU. A story about a broken promise, and a love that survived against all odds.**

**Pairings:**** SasuNaru (Can anyone tell me the difference btw SasuNaru and NaruSasu?...) Most likely no other pairings. I'll consider requests from readers. Just to point out here, I wouldn't want to give the impression that this is a gay love story. Pls think of it as more of two souls falling in love with each other.**

**Ratings:**** Currently PG-13, 99.999 precent chance will go up to R-21. Which means adult content. You've been warned.**

**Warning:**** This is a BL story. Pls don't read if you're like totally against Shonenai.**

**Note:**** I really really hate Sakura, BUT, I ****do not**** do character bashing, so I'm gonna try to mold her into a character that Sakura haters can stand.**

**Disclaimer:**** Naruto does not belong to me. If it did, I would make Sakura disappear.**

**Enjoy.**

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**Never**

_By pinktears_

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**_Prologue: Eternal Summer_**

The streets of Kyoto were bathed in the rays of the setting sun. Yellow, orange and red hues dyed the willow trees surrounding the playground. The wind blew gently, rustling the slim leaves of willow. The bald branches of the plum trees swayed together with the breeze. All was quiet except for the occasional whispering of nature. It was a beautiful evening.

The creaking of the swing broke the peace. There, right in the middle of the playground, a raven haired boy was swinging his blond haired friend lightly.

A big idiotic smile was plastered all over the blond's face. He looked around at their friends who were asleep on the ground and giggled.

"They're out cold, Sasuke. You got markers?" The raven smirked and nodded. The blond's smile grew wider as he thought of what to draw on his friends' faces.

High up in the evening sky, the moon can already be seen. A white crescent nearly overwhelmed by the strong evening rays. But in a few minutes, it would dominate the sky.

The raven stopped swinging and the swing slowed to a halt. The blond turned his head in query to the raven. He was oblivious to the boy, looking at a distant object. The blond shrugged and turned his head back to face the front.

He watched the sun dropped lower and lower. The rays shone straight into his sapphire eyes, causing him to squint uncomfortably.

The days' activities took their toll on the seven-year-old. He slumped back and leaned against the raven, sighing deeply. It was comfortable, lying against the soft tummy of his friend.

The raven ruffled the soft golden mane absent-mindedly, still spacing out. His eyes were unfocused, as if looking into another dimension. His hand abruptly stopped messing up the blond hair and the light returned to his eyes.

"Naruto..," he started. "We are best friends right?" The blond nodded furiously. "Of course we are, we'll be best friends forever!"

He turned and saw the strained look on the raven's face. Panicking, he asked "Sasuke? What's wrong?"

"Nothing…," the raven answered. Then, bitting his lips, he said reluctantly "I…I had a vision."

The blond nodded and turned back, knowing better than to probe on. But he was unable to shake the foreboding feeling from his stomach. Whenever Sasuke had a vision, it had to be bad.

The blond shifted nervously, he wanted to be assured. "Ne, Sasuke…you'll stay with me forever?"

The raven smiled down affectionately at the mass of gold. He was not sure of how their friendship would turn out, but the last thing he would do is to leave Naruto.

"Of course," he answered confidently.

"Forever? As in forever and ever?"

"I promise."

It was the only promise he had ever made. And the only promise he had ever broken.

* * *

**There! Took me ages to get the prologue out. Because, I've already told you, my strength is not in English. But I hope you readers would enjoy reading as much as I enjoy writing it. I would be really thankful if it touched your hearts, even if just a little.**

**Thank you to all who read and feel for my humble little fiction!**

**P.S. I'm really sorry, but because I'm such a lazy bum and suck at generating ideas, my updates are usually very slow. But pls do stick with me till the end, I would really appreciate that! Thank you! :)**


	2. Chapter 1: Audition

**Hi again! First chapter of Never! I'm really grateful to all reviewers! Thank you so much for supporting me! :)) I touched! –blows loudly into tissue- I love you guys!! :D Lolz. And I mention again, my strength is not in English and I may not be able to express some of my thoughts vividly, BUT, pls do read and review, flames are most welcomed.**

**BETA'd by:**** The most wonderful ****Pahoyhoy****-san! I love her so much!! XD**

**Summary:**** AU. A story about a broken promise, and a love that survived against all odds.**

**Pairings:**** SasuNaru. Will consider requests from readers.**

**Ratings:**** Currently PG-13, will go up to R-21. Which means adult content. You've been warned.**

**Warning:**** This is a BL story.**

**Note:**** No Sakura-bashing.**

**Disclaimer:**** Naruto does not belong to me. If it did, I would make Sakura disappear.**

**Enjoy.**

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Chapter 1: Audition

The alarm set off sending a high-pitched ring piercing through Naruto's ears. He rolled off the bed and hit the floor with a dull thud. "Ugh…" The blond groaned and rubbed his aching back.

He reached up and with a single swipe of his palms, knocked the small alarm clock off the table. It fell to the ground with a crash.

Naruto opened his sleep filled eyes and stared guiltily at the spring poking out of the clock face. _Shit, there goes my lunch…_

Naruto got up and sat on his small bed as it creaked in protest against his weight. The second-hand bed was barely large enough to hold his full height, the mattress was torn in some places and the springs jutted out beneath the cloth at awkward position. Naruto absent-mindedly rubbed his backside which ached from being poked by the spring all night.

Naruto looked around and crooked his head to one side, wondering why in the world he set the alarm early that day. His eyes swept across the room and took in everything which was not hard, since the room was small. He did not even have enough space to put the bed perpendicular to its current position.

A rectangular table across the room was packed full with school books and some random magazines. There was valley of space between the two towering mountains of books which was only sufficient for Naruto to write or do his homework. His eyes came to rest on the yellow flyer in the space, it screamed out: "Konoha Senior High School 100th Anniversary Concert: Auditions Next Friday!"

Naruto stared at the flyer, his tired mind totally blank. After what seemed like centuries, it finally registered in his mind.

"Shit! Auditions!" Naruto scrambled to his feet clumsily and tripped over a dirty sock, hitting his head on the mountain of books on the table. "Aw...fuck…" he groaned and placed a hand over the growing swell. _Why am I so accident-prone…_, he thought grumpily.

The blond strode across the room, head just a few inches from the ceiling. Stopping in front of a dull green door he swung it open to reveal an old bathroom.

The walls were painted light green, just like his one room apartment. Although old, the bathroom was kept relatively clean. There was a small window which allowed almost no light in. For this reason no matter how bright it is outside, Naruto still had to switch the lights on to prevent himself from tripping in the dark and cracking his skull open.

Naruto stepped in front of the sink, grabbed his toothbrush, and brushed his teeth at lightning speed.

After washing up, he stepped back into the room and reached out into the cupboard snuggled in between the bed and the table pulling out a yellow tank top, orange jacket and black pants. Humming a happy little tune, he dressed himself quickly.

Washed and dressed-up, Naruto stood in front of the cracked mirror above the sink. His spiky blond hair framed his face as it split into a wide grin. "Looking hot today handsome! Now, time to go sweep all of them little twerps off their dainty feet with your sexy voice!" Naruto kissed his reflection and punched a fist into the air, knocking the lamp off the ceiling. The bulb smashed to the ground and the bathroom went dark instantly.

"Ouch!" He exclaimed and clutched his slightly scalded knuckles. _Damn, there goes my ramen for the next two days…_

Naruto locked the door of his run-down apartment. The paint on the door was old and peeling. He tore off a piece of paint that was sticking out and threw it over his shoulder. Humming happily, he skipped his way down the dirty gray steps of the ancient building, occasionally bumping his head lightly on the flight of steps above.

Stepping out of the ancient building, Naruto was greeted by the warm morning sun. He threw his hands into the air and let out an excited cry, "Yoshi! Ganbatte! Uzumaki Naruto-sama!" **(1)** With that, he ran at full speed down the street.

A cranky old lady peaked out of her small apartment window and shook her head. "Damn crazy kid again…," she grumbled.

* * *

"UZUMAKI NARUTO! Do you know the time now?" Kiba screamed at said blond as he stepped into the university studio.

Naruto winced and laughed apologetically, "Gomen, it slipped my mind…"

Kiba's eyes bulged out. "Slipped your mind? Slipped your FREAKING MIND? Man, we've waited centuries for this audition, and you know how important it is to us! Especially to you! So how the hell did it even slip your mind?"

"Kiba, I know. I'm sorry, I was tired, 'kay?" Naruto sighed.

"Again? What time did you knock off yesterday? Spill, or I swear Naruto, I'll dig your guts out." Kiba glared at him, daring him to admit.

"…Um…haha…ahem…er, three? …am?" Naruto smiled weakly.

The brunet promptly pounced on him; chaos ensued.

A chubby guy with spiral tattoos on his cheeks jumped in and tried to untangle the mass of arms and legs. "Guys, guys! Please behave yourselves; we _are_ in the studio now!" He bellowed, trying to break the fight. Meanwhile, a blonde with a long and high ponytail shook her head helplessly while her black haired partner pushed his shades higher up his nose, totally ignoring the commotion.

"Damn you…_oomph_…Naruto, I told…_grunt_…you to knock off earlier! You're lacking of rest! What if you…_ow_...faint during audition? You baka!"

"Kiba…you…_grunt_…idiot! Get the hell off me!" Naruto panted, and with a heavy push, he shoved both Kiba and Choji off his chest.

Naruto glared at Kiba, trying to catch his breath. "God Kiba, you're crazy. Besides, I'm only five minutes late…"

Kiba sighed and ran a hand through his short hair. "You have to stop doing this Naruto, you're killing yourself! Working seven days a week, and at late hours!"

He looked at the blond worriedly. "Naruto, I care for you, and I can't let you go on like this. You don't have to do this!" He gestured towards their band mates. "We can all help you. That's what friends are for; that's what we are for."

Naruto couldn't help but smile at his childhood friend. He knew, he always knew, that they will be by his side when he needed them.

Naruto reached out and ruffled Kiba's hair fondly. "I know."

Kiba let out an indignant "hmpf" and crossed his arms. Naruto let out a small chuckle and said, "Hey, relax. I practiced at home yesterday. It's gonna work out alright!"

* * *

Sasuke twirled the ballpoint pen around his fingers and stared at the dancing couple blankly. _Man…this is so boring. There is not one decent act…_

The music came to grand finale as the couple leaped and ended their routine spectacularly. Panting heavily, they bowed, nearly dazzling Sasuke with their bright smiles.

Sasuke dropped his pen and fingered the stack of papers on the judges' table. Being the head of the Konoha Student Council was tough, especially when you are responsible for the whole student body and every single freaking thing happening in the campus. The raven had been expected_, forced_ to show up at the most important audition of the year for the success of Konoha Senior High School's 100th anniversary. With his father being the boss of Japan's biggest record company, XFan Records, Sasuke was more than capable of telling the difference between a good performance and, well, one that totally suck.

"Ne, otouto, seen anything you like yet?"

Sasuke grimaced. Itachi chuckled, amused by his brother's agony.

"Jiraiya Sensei…," Itachi started, turning to his other side. Sitting there was a snoring man with long white hair. He had a perverted smile on his face and a trail of drool was making its way down his chin, and he made disgusting sounds occasionally, like moans or small giggles. Itachi shook his head and sigh in resignation.

_I wonder why in the world Tsunade would choose those two as judges, a perverted old fart, and an emo who hates the world…_

For Itachi, it was an entirely different case. He was an ex-student of Konoha, and also a hard-to-come-by talent in music. He was _invited_ to come. Hell, he's practically a guest-of-honor.

"Next!"

Itachi turned to the stack of paper in his hands. Next up is a rock band called O.R., short for Orange Rage. Itachi let his eyebrows raise a little. _Orange…_

He looked expectantly at the closed door and stared at it for god knows how long. Whoever the members of the band are, they were wearing Itachi out. Irritated, he looked through the pile of paper again.

"Next please!"

Then the door to the studio opened, and immediately, Itachi felt Sasuke tense beside him.

Itachi looked up and dropped his jaws just a fraction of a millimeter.

_Uzumaki…_

* * *

The blonde with a high ponytail placed her hands on Naruto's shoulders and felt as she began to vibrate as well.

"Naruto, for goodness sake, relax!"

"B-b-b-b-but…"

Choji sighed and said, "Naruto, you're not just shivering, you're vibrating. See, now even Ino's vibrating! What's wrong with you? Just go in there and be yourself. Everything's gonna turn out okay."

Kiba raised his fist and pounded Naruto on the head. "Better?"

"OW! Stupid mutt-breath!"

"Hey! I was trying to help. I was only trying to clear up that thick skull of yours!"

"You did it on purpose!"

"Yes I did, to keep you focused! It's for your own good, see, you're not vibrating anymore!"

"Why you-"

"Next!"

Naruto froze. He turned a shade of gray.

"Kiba…Naruto's turned to stone…," Their black haired band mate commented softly, tugging nervously at his turned-up jacket collar.

"Shino, don't worry, I'll fix him."

Kiba's face was solemn as he picked up Naruto by the waist and slammed him head first against a nearby door. Then, gathering him up, Kiba picked up an old black guitar and handed it to him.

Trying to ignore the aching bruise on his head, Naruto glared at the brunet and grabbed the guitar neck. He closed his eyes and let music flow through his mind.

He felt his body burst with energy. Every single cell in his body was aching to move, to sing. He wanted to play music, he needed to feel it.

He had put in so much effort, come so far. He needed to prove his worth. He needed to show the world his music.

Suddenly, he felt confident.

Suddenly, he felt alive.

"Next please!"

Naruto opened his eyes and saw Kiba's smile. His face broke into a foxy grin.

"Come on guys, let's rock this house down!"

"Yeah!"

* * *

Naruto stared at the raven, not quite believing his eyes. Why was he here? But judging from his look, he was not quite expecting the blond either.

_Sasuke…_

He tensed as a wave of emotions washed over him. Kiba nudged him and whispered in a warning tone, "Naruto…"

Naruto suppressed the unwelcomed emotions and turned away, breaking eye contact with the raven. From the corner of his eye, he saw Itachi. He seemed surprised to see Naruto there too.

Naruto gritted his teeth. _I'll not let this affect my performance!_

He stomped over to the mike in front of the judges. "Ohayoo-gozaimasu! Bokutachi wa Orange Rage!" He shouted into the mike. **(2)**

Itachi made a sound which Naruto took as acknowledging them and started tapping his fingers on the table expressing his boredom.

Choji smiled helplessly and sat down behind the drum set. Trust Naruto to get so high no matter what or where.

Naruto's eyes twitched at Jiraiya's snoring. He whipped out a wad of newspaper, especially prepared for this, and threw it at the teacher. Jiraiya jumped a foot from his seat and rubbed his swelling bruise, staring accusingly at Naruto. He wiped a trail of saliva from his mouth and sat up slightly hunched.

"Wake up, perverted toad! Today, we're singing a self-composed song. It's called The Rage Beat."

Ino took her position at the synthesizer, Kiba and Shino slung their instruments over their shoulders and stood on both sides of Naruto. Naruto leaned back casually and positioned his pick over the guitar string.

Behind, Choji raised his drumstick. "One, two, three, go!"

Ino's fingers flew rapidly over the keyboard, the music started.

A strong beat established itself. Choji's head moved rhythmically as he hit the drums. Kiba and Naruto picked the guitar strings rapidly. Shino closed his eyes under the sunglasses, feeling the strong pulse of his bass.

As the beginning drew to a close, Naruto swung his guitar to the back, opened his mouth and started singing.

_Obieta mezuki de_

Itachi fingers stopped tapping abruptly. Jiraiya looked more awake now as he sat up straight.

_Iradatsu omoi uwaki na kaze ni hakisutete_

Itachi narrowed his eyes. _His voice is good…very powerful._

_Hibi-wareta rojou ni toketa shigunaru wa kizuato dake nokoshite-iku_

Ino leaned forward into the mike position in front of the keyboard.

_Madoronda noizu ga asu o keshi-saru mae ni_

Ino sang together with Naruto, their voices intertwining.

_Yabou ni hibiku kutsuoto o oikakete_

Naruto pulled the mike out from the stand and threw his head back, the music course throughout his whole body. Kiba joined in, backing Naruto together with Ino.

_Doko ni mo tomaranai_

_Mitasanai Emotion shikato kimete oikose yo_

_Furueteru shai na seikai no nuke-michi o neratte_

_Tadoritsuku basho e I Want New World_

All three singers stepped back from the mike. Naruto swung his guitar back and slammed on it. Ino remained in her position while Kiba prepared to sing again. Still playing the guitar, Naruto closed his eyes in concentration and sang into the mike.

_Muragaru fuan ni_

Kiba leaned back and turned his full concentration onto the guitar strings.

_Tsume o tatereba mishiranu uso ni hajikarete_

_Mote-amasu ji…_

"Enough."

Naruto's eyes snapped open, his mouth still open but silent. The rest of his band mates took longer to realize what was happening. The music died off slowly.

The room remained eerily silent, all eyes on Sasuke. Itachi looked at his brother calmly. He had sort of expected this to happen. Jiraiya was the first to speak.

"What's wrong, Sasuke? I thought they were pretty good."

"I think I've heard enough," Sasuke gave the white haired man a cold glare signalling for him to shut up.

Jiraiya frowned but did not say anything more.

Naruto felt his head burning. A thousand thoughts were whirling through his mind. He couldn't believe this was happening. How could Sasuke do this to him?

He clenched his fists tightly. "I…I want to know why."

Sasuke's gaze flicked back to him. "Nani?" **(3)**

"You didn't even let us finish."

"It wasn't worth my time."

Naruto's eyes flared as he tried to push back the boiling anger rising in his throat. He felt insulted. He was so angry and so disappointed.

"I want to know why you are doing this to me. Teme! You can't just bring in personal grudges!" Naruto yelled at Sasuke.

The raven's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Don't make assumptions, Uzumaki. You are in no position to talk to me like this."

Naruto's eyes widened in disbelieve. _Sasuke…how can you say this to me…_

He drew in a sharp breath. But Kiba stretched out a hand in front of him.

"Stop it, Naruto. Let's go."

Naruto stood firmly where he was, refusing to give in.

Choji stood up and called his name softly. Ino walked towards him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Naruto…"

Everything was still for a few seconds. Then Shino walked forward to Sasuke.

He picked up the filled application form on Sasuke's table and, to the amazement of everyone, tore it up.

"You can save the trouble. We quit," he hissed softly. With that, he spun around and stalked out of the room.

* * *

"Shino!" Naruto ran over to the boy and falling into pace beside him. "Hey, wow, I never really knew you could get so agitated."

Shino was silent.

Naruto scratched his head and continued. "But that was really cool man. Actually, I'm really glad you showed that bastard we're not to be messed with."

Shino stopped. "You…you're not angry at me?" He said softly.

Naruto looked at him, genuinely astonished. "Nani? Why would I be angry at you?"

"Because, well…"

"Relax, Shino. Naruto is not that kind of person." Kiba walked up to them lazily, smiling. Choji and Ino followed behind.

Shino's mouth curved up a little. "Hm…but…what are we going to do about the audition now?"

"Well, we don't have to put all our stakes on this. We can always take it somewhere else," Ino said thoughtfully.

Naruto smiled. "I…I guess we're back to square one…"

Everyone remained silent.

Kiba sighed at the heavy atmosphere. "Hey! Let's go out, relax a little, have some fun!" He suggested, trying to lift their spirits.

His band mates looked up and saw Kiba's encouraging smile. Naruto felt his heart swell with pride and affection for his best friend. _Kiba is always there to help us through our darkest times and cheer us up._

Naruto threw his arms around his friend. "God, Kiba. I don't know how we'd ever survive without you."

Kiba laughed over Naruto's shoulders. "So, any place in mind, guys?"

Ino smirked. "Oh, I know a perfect place to relax…"

* * *

A/N:

**(1) Yoshi: yes, good etc. Ganbatte: GO! Sama: a very polite and respectful term for someone of high status**

**(2) Hello! We are Orange Rage!**

**(3) What?**

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The song is called The Rage Beat by **Mad Soldiers (Lead Vocals: Kotani Kinya, Guitar/Back-up Vocal: It****ō**** Kenichi, Keyboard: Asakura Daisuke). I get almost all the songs in this fic form the manga/anime, Gravitation. I'll type the link for the song here. Go listen to it, it's very very very nice! Trust me!**

**Link: www . youtube . com / watch ? v (equal) tvrdxb5HbYE**

**Lyrics are all taken from www . animelyrics . com**

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OMG. That was a super long chapter! (For me…) And yes, Naruto is poor. Haha, I tried to fully describe the condition of Naruto's room to you, but I think it started to sound a little weird, like I'm rambling, along the way. My stories always turn out like this somehow, so please bear with my occasional rambling and nonsense. Thanks!

**Thank you to all who read and feel for my humble little fiction!**

**P.S. Some of you might have already noticed, I loosely based the story off Gravitation (even the songs are from it). However, I promise not to make the story too much like Gravitation. Those who never heard of Gravitation, it's a Shonenai manga/anime. It's absolutely adorable, pls go read/watch it! (The anime's a little different from the manga. But still good nonetheless.)**


	3. Chapter 2: Encounter

**Hi again! Second chapter! :D Pls do read and review, flames (constructive criticism) are most welcomed.**

**BETA'd by: ****Pahoyhoy****-san. Go read her collab KH fic, you won't regret! ;)**

**Summary:**** AU. A story about a broken promise, and a love that survived against all odds.**

**Pairings:**** SasuNaru. Does anyone want ItaOC(Fem)? Cos I got something like that in mind…Will consider requests from readers.**

**Ratings:**** No one under 18, or 21 for some countries.**

**Warning:**** This is a BL story.**

**Note:**** No Sakura-bashing. Although she'll be probably be the evil snow queen, depending on my mood. :D**

**Disclaimer:**** Naruto and it's characters does not belong to me.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

Sasuke leaned back into the hard plastic seat and let out a low sigh. That was certainly too much for him.

Itachi looked at him, a single elegant eyebrow arched. Sasuke sensed it and turned to glare at him.

"What?" He asked rudely.

"You've never told me Uzumaki and Inuzuka studied in Konoha," Itachi said slowly with an air of calmness.

"I'm not obliged to report to you every single thing happening in this school," Sasuke retorted coldly.

Jiraiya leaned forward to catch Itachi's attention and said, "I brought him to Tokyo a year ago. Kiba insisted on coming along." Then his face stretched into a wide grin. "Kiba stuck by Naruto's side no matter what. They were really inseparable."

Sasuke growled, "Shut up, Jiraiya."

The elder frowned. "Is that the way to address your teacher? Honestly, I have no idea how you became head of KSC." **(1)**

Sasuke crossed his arms and sulked for the rest of the audition.

**********

Chapter 2: Encounter

The night was young and Tokyo was surging with life. Glaring lights illuminated the roads and buildings, giving them a hellish glow. The rain dripped, forming puddles which took on the color of the bright traffic lights.

Pretty young girls in their Lolita costumes grabbed and called out to passers-by, each trying to pull unsuspecting victims into their little havens. A hand stuck out and grabbed at the crowd, pulling a shriveled bespectacled man with it. The girl in an off-shoulder pink Lolita snaked her hand around the man's arm, flung her blond hair over her shoulder and pouted cutely at him. "Maa…Ebisu-sama hasn't been coming for a while, Momoko-chan was lonely…" Her sugar sweet voice trailed off as she dragged the man into the lacey pale pink entrance with the sign "Sweetie Peachy Heaven".

Ino rolled her eyes and looked away. _At least choose someone less perverted and more decent looking_, she thought.

The noise level was beyond her tolerance. The sea of faceless people chattered, almost drowning out the mixture of pop, rock, and metal music. Flooding the streets, cabs honked helplessly at the crowd, hoping to get their customers to their destinations before their patience ran out.

_Enough of sight-seeing. I have to find that damn place! _The blonde thought as she searched, twisting her head here and there. She let out a grunt, her head pulsing with all the noise. She squinted her eyes, scanning the city, trying to block out the bright neon lights.

"Urgh! My eyes are being blinded and they hurt like shit! Why the hell aren't any of you helping me?" Ino shouted to her band mates.

All four of them wore the same bored and exasperated expression as they lagged behind the keyboardist.

"Inooo…I'm hungry…" Choji complained, placing a hand on his grumbling stomach. Naruto mimicked his movements and nodded his head in agreement.

"We're all hungry; can't we go somewhere to eat first?" Kiba asked grumpily.

Ino turned and looked at her band mates. Her eyes stopped at Shino and she silently prayed for him to say something. The boy pushed his glasses up and shrugged. "Well, I am a little hungry too…"

Ino rolled her eyes and threw up her arms in resignation. "Oh, alright. Let's go to Ichiraku's."

Naruto immediately drooled and went starry-eyed.

* * *

"Alright folks, it's over."

Jiraiya stretched and yawned. It had been a long day, and finally the end of auditions. He wiped the corner of his eyes, grateful that the torture was finally over. Itachi tidied up his papers and glanced at his sulking brother. Sasuke had his arms crossed and brows pulled together.

"Otouto, you seemed irritated," Itachi remarked.

"Any idiot can see that."

Itachi raised an eyebrow. "Hm…pack up, Sasuke, I'm taking you to Tomoe to relax." Sasuke gagged. "Tomoe? Like hell I would go to that stupid place. I'm not even of age!"

"I own that place, age would not be a problem. Whether you like it or not I'm taking you there. It's up to you to either follow obediently or I drag your ass there."

"I don't even have a choice!" Sasuke grunted.

"Hey hey! I am a teacher. Do you think I can allow my student to break the law right in front of me?" Jiraiya exclaimed indignantly. Itachi waved his hand, dismissing him. "I'll sponsor the fifth installment of your Icha Icha Paradise." The teacher immediately bowed down to the young CEO of XFan Records. "Uchiha-sama. Please forgive my fatuity."

Itachi smirked at Sasuke, enjoying his disgusted and agonized look.

Ah, how he loved his brother.

* * *

Naruto happily slurped his ramen and let out a contently sigh. "This is heaven," he exclaimed, nodding in agreement with himself. Kiba made a disgusted sound. "Ew! Naruto! You are spraying me with miso soup! Disgusting!"

Naruto ignored him and continued slurping noisily. Choji poured the whole bowl down his throat and called for another. Shino sipped on his tea quietly, slowly edging away from Naruto.

Ino laughed. "Alright guys, who's paying?"

Everybody's gaze turned to her. Ino held up her hand and backed away, her face immediately darkened. "I'm going to kick your asses!"

After a hearty meal, a few full stomachs and an empty wallet, the band set off again.

"It's called Tomoe. My friend introduced me to it, it's a really nice place," Ino said spiritlessly, stroking her wallet and tearing. Kiba shook his head. "You don't even remember where it was and what it looked like! Ugh! Talk about dumb blondes…,"Kiba muttered the last comment under his breath.

"Unfortunately for you, most dumb blondes tend to have superb hearing skills!" Ino turned around and twisted the brunet's ear, making him howl in pain. Then her eyes lit up as she saw the sign over Kiba's head. "Found it!" she exclaimed excitedly, pointing to the neon words.

_Thanks to Kiba…_, Chouji and Naruto added quietly in their minds.

Shino pushed his shades up higher on his nose and peered at the sign. "Tomoe" it read. There was a tomoe design on either sides of it. **(2)** The entrance was decorated in bright and glittery colors.

"Ino…isn't this a night club…"

Ino smirked. "Yeah it is. My friend showed me a back entrance; we can easily sneak into it."

"Eh? But won't that be against the law?" Naruto scratched his head nervously. Ino just rolled her eyes. She strode confidently towards the dark alley, the rest following helplessly behind.

* * *

He hated Itachi's guts.

Sasuke placed his elbows on the bar and buried his head in his hands. The loud disco music was hurting his ears. All the flashy disco lights were destroying his eyes. He could feel adrenaline flowing through him and his head spun from it.

"Hey, Sasuke!" Sasuke looked up at the man behind the bar. He was smiling apologetically. "You look like you need a beer. Need me to get one for ya?"

Sasuke grimaced. "No thanks, Jugo."

Another man came up behind Jugo, wiping a glass. "Dragged down by Itachi?" Sasuke let his head hit the table with a thud. "Don't, Suigetsu. I might just go mad and stab him."

The man chuckled. "He really showed his love for you."

Sasuke groaned.

"Having fun, little brother?"

Sasuke looked up and gave his brother a death glare. Then, something caught his eye. He looked past Itachi confusedly. Itachi followed his gaze and turned back. He saw five familiar faces, and they looked like they were sneaking around. He raised his eyebrow. He was going to have to tighten the security here.

"Why are they here?" Sasuke asked accusingly. Itachi looked at him calmly. "I didn't invite them."

"You two know them?" Jugo asked.

"They are from Konoha," Itachi said without looking at the bartender. Jugo shrugged. "Well, I have seen that girl around occasionally." Itachi narrowed his eyes. What were those stupid bodyguards doing? He would have to fire them.

Sasuke stood up suddenly and turned. "I'm going to the washroom," he told Itachi emotionlessly. The latter shrugged. Sasuke stomped away, cursing his brother to the deepest, darkest depths of hell.

* * *

Naruto slumped onto the bar table, feeling nauseous and beat. Ino had dragged him to the dance floor and started jumping up and down. Naruto danced until his legs turned to jelly, but Ino was still hopping around so full of energy. He groaned. Where _did_ she get all that energy from?

The blond shook his head, trying to clear the adrenaline and dizziness. Beside him, Shino stared at him wearily. "If you are going to throw up, please do so in the toilet."

"Shuddap," Naruto growled.

Choji looked sadly at the shelves of liquor. "I need an ice-cream soda…"

Kiba bounced over and slapped Shino on the back. "Guys! Come on! This is heaven man, all the girls and music. Come and dance!" A vein popped on Shino's forehead and he clenched his fist. Kiba swooned and cheered, tugging the raven to the dance floor, totally unaware of his wrath. It was not long before a dull crack and an exclamation of pain was heard.

Naruto grimaced at Kiba's swollen wound and turned back to the counter. "Hey!" he waved a red-haired girl over. "Can you get me some ice water?"

"Karin, get us a beer each, my tab." A deep voice interrupted. The girl nodded and took out two tumblers.

Naruto's eyebrow raised and he turned towards the voice. He was taken by surprise at the sight of Itachi. "Ita…I-I-I mean U-Uchiha san…,"Naruto stammered nervously. Itachi smirked. He grabbed the beer and raised it to his lips. "Nice to see you break the law for a change." Naruto went red in the face.

"Eh…er…actually Ino dragged me here. I didn't really want to come."

Itachi chuckled. "Well, that was what I did to Sasuke." Naruto looked confused for a moment, and then it dawned on him. "What? Sasuke is here?" He jumped back from Itachi as if he was scalded. "Relax, Uzumaki-kun. He would try his best to avoid you."

Naruto frowned as he settled back down into his not-so-comfortable seat. Itachi examined his expression.

"We will do our best to avoid him too."

Itachi crooked his head sideways. "Ah, Akimichi-kun," he acknowledged with a dip of his head. Choji frowned at him.

"Uchiha-san. What brings you and your brother here? Wouldn't your brother be breaking the law too?"

Itachi looked up to see Shino walking back towards his seat. "As a matter of fact, Aburame-kun, I own this place. I should be asking you what brings your band here."

Shino remained silent.

"Er…Ino thought it would help us get our spirits up," Naruto laughed nervously, trying to break the uncomfortable silence.

"Uzumaki-kun," Itachi called, more serious now. Naruto turned to look at him. He sipped his beer. "I have some…matter to talk to you. Alone." Naruto stared at him wearily, but stood up. Itachi smirked and moved away, beckoning for Naruto to follow.

"Naruto," Choji said in a warning tone. Naruto gave a reassuring nod in his direction, telling him it was fine. The blond followed the Uchiha into a quieter region of the club.

* * *

Itachi plopped down onto the red plastic swivel chair and called for another two glasses of beer. Naruto politely declined and settled for just plain ice water. He was, after all, not of age yet.

Itachi chuckled and took a sip of his liquor. He set the glass down onto the table with a soft but audible clink.

"Would you like a career in the music industry?"

Naruto's eyes widened. His mouth opened and closed. "Wh…what?" He managed to splutter out incredulously. That was the last thing he expected to hear from Itachi.

Itachi leaned back into the seat and looked as if he was in the most comfortable position in the world. Naruto vaguely wondered how Itachi managed to pull off looking cool in every situation.

The Uchiha turned and looked Naruto in the eye. Then he smirked. "I'm inviting you to work together with XFan Records."

Suddenly, Naruto felt as if he was going to throw up. His stomach heaved and he gripped the table so hard his knuckles turned white. Unable to withstand the queasiness in his stomach, Naruto covered his mouth and apologized in a muffled voice. Stumbling off his seat, he staggered off in the direction of the washroom.

* * *

Sasuke splashed his face with water, trying to get rid of his headache. His head was already throbbing painfully enough without knowing that Naruto was in the same place as him.

Sasuke looked at his dripping wet face in the mirror. _Naruto…_

Flashbacks came back to him. Memories of them playing together, going to school together. A scene of them at a swing flashed through his mind, causing him to pull his brows together in a pained expression. His grip on the sink tightened. _Damn it…_

"Naruto…," the name accidentally slipped out. Sasuke bit his lips and mentally slapped himself for saying it out loud.

Suddenly, a man burst through the doors and flew straight into a cubicle. He was so fast Sasuke only managed to see a blur.

Sasuke frowned at the mirror. Well, that was probably some idiot who drank one glass too many. The sound of heaving reached Sasuke. He turned towards the sound of retching. It sounded pretty serious. He debated whether he should go help a total stranger. It might get him into unnecessary trouble. For all he knew, this guy might be a drug-dealing gangster whom would probably go insane and attack Sasuke.

Another bout of heaving could be heard. Sasuke sighed and walked over to check if the man was alright, although his mind was screaming at him that this was not a good idea.

"Hey, are you o…," Sasuke froze in mid-sentence. He stared at the blond hair. _Crap…_

Not a good idea indeed.

Naruto threw up the last bits of his miso ramen and leaned back. "Yeah, I guess…" He said, too tired to turn around.

Sasuke backed away as fast as he could. _Shit, I have to get out of here._

Naruto felt the presence behind him moving away. He turned curiously and his eyes widened. Another wave of nausea washed over him and he whipped his head back to vomit again.

Sasuke hesitated. He knew he should not do this, but Naruto sounded as if he had terminal cancer. He took a cautious step towards Naruto. "Na…," he swallowed. "Uzumaki?" Naruto froze and his muscles tightened. He stood up rigidly and turned without looking at the raven. Naruto sidestepped Sasuke without a word and washed his mouth at the sink.

Sasuke was irritated. "Oi, are you okay?"

Naruto clenched his teeth and fought back a retort.

Sasuke frowned. That moron was getting on his nerves. "Hey, dobe, I can't believe I'm worrying about you, but I really don't want you dying on me here."

Naruto whipped back and took three long strides towards Sasuke. He gripped the Uchiha's shirt collar, ignoring the hiss of anger, and brought Sasuke's face down to his level. "Then stop pretending you care. You are just a heartless bastard who steps on people. In the end everything is about you and your big fat façade!" Naruto snarled, his eyes blazing.

Sasuke gripped Naruto's wrist tightly. "Get your hands off me." The raven's voice was calm, but with a dangerous edge. Naruto's brows twitched as anger burned in him. He hissed and threw Sasuke onto the wall. Sasuke winced at the impact.

Naruto turned and took a deep breath to steady himself. His eyes darkened. "And don't call me dobe," He said quietly, as though it was not meant for Sasuke to hear.

Sasuke's stomach tightened. Dobe was a nickname Sasuke used for Naruto when they were still young. It had slipped out without him knowing. He had a sudden strong urge to touch Naruto, to reassure him. He watched as Naruto reach out to grab the door handle. _Fuck…_, he thought as his body moved on its own accord.

Sasuke was not sure why he allowed his body to move, but as he grabbed Naruto's shirt and pulled him back, he could not help but smirk at the surprised expression on the blond's face. Sasuke raised his fist, and delivered a satisfying punch to the tanned face.

"Bastard!"

And Naruto dove at Sasuke.

Then everything happened very fast. Before he knew it, Sasuke was rolling around the floor with Naruto, each trying to hurt the other in the most painful way possible. Sasuke grunted as he slammed his knee into Naruto's stomach, but recoiled as the latter's fist hit him squarely under his chin.

Naruto untangled himself from Sasuke's leg and shoved the raven up against the wall. The collision knocked the wind out of Sasuke's body. Stars danced along the edges of his vision as his head followed and crashed against the tiles. Naruto delivered punches and kicks mercilessly to the boy. Sasuke let out a menacing growl and punched the blond in the eye. Naruto staggered a little, wincing at his bruised eye. Sasuke took this chance to throw another punch at him, knocking him off balance. Naruto grabbed Sasuke's shirt, dragging him down to the floor again. It was as if the fight was never ending. The two boys fought and retaliated, neither willing to give in.

"Security! Call security! There's a fight going on!"

Sasuke caught a glimpse of the terrified man standing at the door. But as Naruto's fist reconnected with him again, he snarled and went back into the fight.

Two burly guards ran into the washroom and tore the two heavily panting boys apart. Sasuke and Naruto glowered at each other, both fighting back the guards and trying to hurt the other. The hate and intensity of their glares was evident in the room. "No fightin' is allowed in here," the guard holding Sasuke warned both boys. Then suddenly his eyes narrowed as if something clicked in his head. He squinted at the two and pulled his brows together.

"How old are ya two?"

* * *

A cat leaped out of the dustbin. Its green eyes glittered like jewels in the dark alley. It swished its tail and stalked towards the noise in the otherwise quiet alley. Crooking its head, it mewed, curious at the commotion happening behind the closed door.

Suddenly the door flew open, startling the cat. It jumped out of the way and hissed, arching its back and tail as the door bounced off the hard wall. Two beings were thrown out roughly.

"Lil' kids don't belong here. Be glad I didn't report ya two to the cobs. Now get lost!"

"I am Uchiha Sasuke! How dare you treat me this way!"

The burly man at the door snorted. "Yeah, and I'm Uchiha Itachi. Now stop playing ya little games and get outta my sight!"

Sasuke gritted his teeth. He was going to have that stupid guard fired. Beside him, Naruto groaned and rubbed his backside. Sasuke was cushioned slightly by the blond, thus not aching as much.

The door to Tomoe was slammed shut rudely in their faces. Sasuke spat out some blood from their fight earlier and stood up, straightening his crumpled shirt. Naruto tried to stand but winced as pain shot up his leg. He looked down, dismayed to find that his ankle was sprained, in addition to his many other bruises and wounds.

Sasuke looked at him and sighed. He could not possibly just leave Naruto to rot here in the alley. He stuck his hand out to offer him. Naruto glared suspiciously at the raven. Sasuke just looked at him, exasperated. "Do you want to get up or not?"

Naruto jutted out his lips in an angry pout, as if in denial he was doing this. But still, he unwillingly reached out and allowed Sasuke to pull him up. **(3) **Sasuke grabbed Naruto's arm and supported him. "Damn it, moron, you have to go on a diet," Sasuke grunted as he heaved the blond up.

Naruto spluttered. "Wh-what? Hey! I'm not fat; it is you who are weak!"

Sasuke growled. "One more word and I will drop you." Naruto's mouth snapped shut and he turned away with a childish puff. Sasuke felt the corners of his mouth turn up. This felt just like...

Sasuke felt his heart drop as he came to a realization. _This felt just like old times…_

Times when they would play and joke with each other, when they would have friendly fights and help each other wrap their wounds. Times when they thought they owned the world and lived without a worry. Times when they thought nothing would come in between them. Times when they were still together.

He gritted his teeth, pushed the thoughts out of his mind and forced himself to continue walking towards the main street.

When they finally reached the end of the alley, Sasuke squinted, trying to block out the glare of the lights. Beside him Naruto frowned. "Now what?" the blond asked.

Sasuke frowned too. He could go home by himself, but what about Naruto? He could not possibly leave him here on his own to wait for the rest of his band mates; at least not with an injured ankle. Besides, there was no knowing when those four would come out.

A yellow Toyota Crown Comfort pulled up along the curb, its door swinging open without warning. Sasuke stepped out of the way as two scantily dressed girls tumbled out, giggling and tugging their short miniskirts down. The door slammed shut automatically behind them, and through the window, the driver leered at the girls with a perverted grin on his face. **(4)** They turned back, bleached blond hair swishing across the window, and smiled sickeningly sweet smiles while batting their eyelids furiously. Naruto stared at them, wondering how they had managed to lift those long thick eyelashes coated with almost an inch of mascara.

Sasuke chuckled dryly. "Well, this is quite a different scene from Kyoto, isn't it?" Naruto furrowed his brows, as if reminiscing. Sasuke bit his tongue. He should have known better than to speak of Kyoto. Kyoto held Naruto's sweetest memory, at the same time, his most bitter ones.

Suddenly, Naruto struggled free from Sasuke's grasp and stood wobbly. "I-I've got to go." He turned and tried to take a step with the sprained ankle. Unfortunately, the pain overwhelmed him and he gasped, losing his balance. Sasuke grabbed him before he could reach the ground.

"Don't push it, I'll take you home," Sasuke grunted irritably.

Naruto's face scrunched up in anger. He pushed the raven away and shouted, "Stop it! Don't do it if you don't want to! Stop pretending!"

A sleek black car slowed down on the road beside Naruto. Its black window slide down to reveal some men in their early twenties. They were laughing and staring at the both of them. "Hey blondie!" The driver shouted. "Ditch your boyfriend and come with us! We've got guys much hotter than him!" The men burst into peals of laughter.

Naruto looked at them, confused. Sasuke saw his discomfort. "Fuck off," the raven snarled at the driver. The man just laughed and drove off. _Definitely no leaving him here alone_, Sasuke decided.

"I can't leave you alone here. It's dangerous, you've seen."

"Don't," Naruto's voice was quiet now. Sasuke's eyes narrowed. He had enough of this "stop pretending" shit. He grabbed a fistful of Naruto's shirt and forced him to look at him. "Damn it, Uzumaki, I'm not pretending! I want to do this, okay? I'm taking you home," Sasuke said, frustrated: since when had this turned into a quarrel of whether he was taking Naruto home or not?

Naruto glared into the onyx orbs. He could not find any sign of giving in. Sasuke was determined not to let him have his way this time. Finally, he let out a breath. "Okay, fine," he said in resignation. _I'll just get this over with…_, Naruto thought.

* * *

Ino jumped over to her band mate, pulling a grumbling Kiba by his ear. "Ow! Damn it woman, let go!" Ino conveniently ignored him and smiled cheerily at Choji and Shino. "Hey! Where's Naruto?"

Shino shrugged. "He went to puke in the washroom." Ino looked disgusted. "Oh, ew…maybe he wasn't so compatible with nightclubs."

Choji glanced at his watch worriedly. "He has been gone for about fifteen minutes. Isn't it a bit too long?" Ino's face broke into a smile. "Well, an important job for Mr. Inuzuka then."

"What? I'm not going in there to clean up after his puking!" Kiba exclaimed incredulously. After receiving a few punches and kicks from the blonde, Kiba sulked and walked towards the washroom.

Ino clapped her hands together. "That's one problem settled! Good! Now let's go back to dancing!" She reached out and grabbed a frightened Choji and an agonized Shino, pulling them to their doom.

* * *

An uncomfortable silence settled over them in the cab. Naruto sneaked a peek at Sasuke. The raven was spacing out of the window. Naruto watched the flickering lights reflected on his face.

For the first time, Naruto noted how mature Sasuke had grown. The obvious was his body build. His shoulders had broadened considerably and his muscles had become firmer. Sasuke's features were also much sharper. He had lost most of his baby fats, and his jaw was more refined. With a jolt, Naruto realized that Sasuke was very good looking.

_Well, that would explain why girls practically swoon over him…_, He thought, absently rubbing his slightly chubby cheeks.

"What?"

Naruto was brought back with a start. He suddenly realized that he was staring at Sasuke while spacing out himself. He blushed and looked away, embarrassed. "Nothing."

Sasuke frowned at the blond. "Is your ankle still hurting?" Naruto shook his head. Sasuke peered at him for a while, then gave up and looked to the front. They lapsed into an uncomfortable silence again. And Sasuke was not helping by acting like a stone.

Naruto fidgeted a little, wanting to ask about earlier today at the audition. It had been bugging him all day but to ask now would be a little awkward. What did he want out of it? For Sasuke to put O.R. into the concert? Naruto bet Sasuke would rather eat raw snakes than do Naruto this favor. Besides, it would be a big blow to Naruto's pride if he had to _ask_ for it. But, he had to find out why Sasuke did not approve. Was it due to personal grudges or was it just that his band was not up to standards. He was pretty sure Sasuke would deny personal grudges because…well, what else can he say?

Naruto pulled the hem of his hoodie. "Why – "

"You sucked," Sasuke cut him off abruptly, already knowing what he was going to ask. Naruto bristled, "The fuck! Ever heard of constructive criticism, bastard?"

"The key was off, no dynamics at all, the whole feel was totally wrong," Sasuke said dryly. Naruto swore his face turned purple, but he kept silent. Sasuke stole a glance at the blond and saw a vein close to bursting. He chuckled, amused.

"What?" Naruto snapped, irritated.

Sasuke leaned back into the seat. "It was good nonetheless." Naruto whipped his head around, surprised.

"What?" he said, incredulously this time. Sasuke shrugged. "I said it was good."

Naruto studied him suspiciously. He was confused, probably due to his low IQ, which Naruto argues is just a teeny weenie little bit below average. First Sasuke said his performance sucked, and then he said it was good. So was it good or bad?

Sasuke tapped his feet to the pulse of the etude playing through the radio of the cab. Now that he thought about it, he _was_ a little harsh on O.R., just a _tiny little_ bit. "I am trained in music, moron, to me, it was horrible. But I supposed it should be good enough for a pass at least."

Naruto shot up straight, hitting his head on the roof. Ignoring the dull ache, he asked Sasuke excitedly, "Really? We can perform?" Sasuke looked at Naruto's starry eyes and snorted in disgust. The blond was worst than a twelve-year-old. "I thought you quit?" Naruto scowled. "Well, if you remember, it was you who ticked Shino off."

Sasuke closed his eyes tiredly and massaged his temple. His was in no mood to start another quarrel on this. "Whatever, you can tell that to my brother. He's in charge anyway."

Suddenly, realization dawned on Naruto. His eyes widened in horror. "Shit! I totally forgot about Itachi! He's never going to work with me now!"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Itachi was with you? He's going to work with you?" Naruto snapped his mouth shut, turning around stubbornly. "Just tell Itachi I'm sorry when you get home." Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "What did Itachi say to you?" Naruto's mouth twitched a little. Sasuke thought it was funny how Naruto was always so readable.

The cab pulled over just as Sasuke was about to ask again. "Yo, we've arrived," the driver told the boys. Sasuke frowned at being interrupted. He took out a wad of notes and handed them to the driver. "Keep the change." A wide grin split on the driver's face and he counted the money greedily.

Sasuke got out and helped Naruto stagger out of the cab, putting the blond's arm around his neck. Naruto looked a little uncomfortable and unhappy. "You didn't have to pay for me; I'll get the money for it, wait here." Sasuke pulled the blond forward more roughly than necessary. "Ow!" Naruto cried out and sent the raven a death glare.

"Don't be stupid, moron. You can't climb the stairs with your ankle like this. And you probably don't even have enough money to pay your rent," Sasuke snapped, feeling exasperated.

Naruto sucked in a breath. He knew Sasuke was right. He was not even sure whether he could afford all his meals for the next two days. In the back of his mind, he knew his condition was very bad. But he was able to live through it by keeping a positive attitude and keeping money problems out of his mind. He only worried about his problems when they surfaced. But now, Sasuke had said it so openly, lay it bare before him. Naruto felt as if a heavy stone had dropped onto his heart. _Damn that bastard for being so straightforward…_

Sasuke tugged the blond along as he climbed the stairs. Every step felt heavier than the last. "God, Naruto, you have to take yoga lessons," Sasuke commented with contempt as a bead of sweat rolled down his face. Naruto flushed from embarrassment. Then his mouth opened in an "O" shape. Sasuke looked at him curiously.

"What?"

Naruto stared back at him. "You…you called me Naruto…"

Sasuke bit his cheek. He turned without a word and continued pulling the blond up the stairs. After another flight of stairs, he stopped for a rest. "Hey, are you sure you lived on the top floor?"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Of course, what do you think I am, stupid?" Sasuke smirked. "That is a high possibility."

Naruto scrunched up his face and huffed angrily. Sasuke fought the urge to smack him. Instead, he wiped away his sweat and continued with his climb.

* * *

_This is real hell…other than being in an enclosed room filled with pesticide…_, Shino thought as he swayed awkwardly to the strong beat. Ino was cheering and singing, her arms around an utterly horrified Choji.

He pitied Choji. Even though he was tired and totally unwilling to be there on the dance floor, at least he was not tortured by the devil.

"Hey! Guys!" Kiba ran to them, with a look of anxiety on his face. "I can't find Naruto! He's missing!" Ino stopped dancing immediately and grabbed Kiba's shirt, glowering at the brunet. He immediately shrank back, seemingly inferior in comparison to the blonde. "What do you mean he's missing?" She demanded.

"I-I-I-I c-c-can't find h-h-him…," Kiba stammered nervously, absolutely terrified by Ino's wrath. Fire blazed in Ino's eyes. Here she was enjoying herself thoroughly, and Naruto just had to spoil the whole thing. Oh, she's going to make him regret it.

The three men shivered at the evil I'm-plotting-something-terrible smile adorning the blonde's face.

Ino paused in the middle of her plans, flipping out her cell and dialed Naruto's number. After a few rings, an irritated voice spoke through the speakers. "What?" Ino flared up again. "What the hell do you mean by 'what?'! Where the hell is your frigging ass? You ditched us, asshole! Do you know you totally ruined my day? Run and hide while you can, because when I find you, I'll make sure you live off life-support for the rest of your pathetic life!" Ino screeched into the phone. With that, she hung up; paying no heed to the strange looks the other clubbers were throwing at her.

* * *

Naruto stared, horrified, at his orange phone. He had not expected the call to be from Ino. And now that she called, it finally dawned on his stupid hollow brain that not only had he ditched Itachi, he also left his band mates there.

"Oi, idiot, stop spacing out. We're here." Naruto was brought back to his senses. He looked at his old and tattered door. _Okay…now what? _Naruto fumbled for his keys as thoughts raced through him. Should he invite Sasuke in? He could not just ask him to go after he "graciously" helped him home, could he?

As the door opened with a click, both boys stood at the doorway; neither moving. Finally, Sasuke broke the silence by grunting impatiently and pulling Naruto into the room. "Hey, hey! I didn't say you can go in! Hey!" Naruto exclaimed, alarmed. Although he would never admit it, he was a little embarrassed to show Sasuke the state of his room.

Sasuke dropped Naruto onto the bed without a sound and towered above him. "Now, tell me what exactly happened between you and Itachi," he asked sternly. Naruto looked away and fidgeted. Damn him and his stupid mouth.

"Uzumaki, don't make me force you," Sasuke threatened. Naruto rolled his eyes. Yeah right, Sasuke can _try_ forcing him.

Sasuke suddenly plopped down onto the bed beside Naruto. Naruto whipped his head to look at him incredulously. "What are you doing?" Naruto asked, although he had a dreadful feeling that he knew the answer already. "I'm staying here until you tell me," Sasuke said simply.

The blond groaned and buried his face in his hands. This night was turning out _great_. And Sasuke's stubborn behavior was like a cherry on top of a perfectly-iced cake. How wonderful. He threw up his hands in defeat and exclaimed, "Whatever! I don't care anymore. You can stay here and rot forever!" With that, Naruto grabbed a towel and stormed into the bathroom.

Sasuke scowled at the retreating back. _That moron!_

Sasuke fidgeted and adjusted to a more comfortable position when Naruto was gone. The spring poking his backside was giving him a headache. As Sasuke looked around the room, he had to admit that this was probably the most pathetic house he had seen. It was pretty damn small, even for a one-roomed apartment. Well, two, if you count the bathroom.

Sasuke's gaze swept over the disorderly heap on the table and bit back a snort. There was a broken alarm clock resting on the small space available on the table. He peered at the magazines and raised his eyebrows. The newest edition was two months old. Sitting back down on the bed, his feet kicked something under the bed.

Sasuke bent down and dragged the heavy object out. It was an old box. Curiosity got the better of him, so he looked around furtively. Once confirming the coast was clear, Sasuke opened the box slowly. Resting on the top was an orange laptop. Scrunching his face in distaste, Sasuke removed it from the box and set it aside. _I thought that moron didn't even have enough money for the rent._

Underneath was what looked like an old book. Sasuke brought it out and onto his lap. Then he sucked in a breath at what remained.

Set neatly side by side was a piano score, a small knife-like weapon, a small musical box, a bracelet with the Uchiha fan and a spiral dangling at the end, an expired ramen voucher, a set of color pencils and a kiddy drawing of a sulking black-haired and a smiling yellowed-haired boy. Seven objects in total.

Sasuke gripped the side of the box tightly. His face twisted in pain. _Not seven…_, he thought. No, not seven, there is still the tattoo; his last birthday present to Naruto. Sasuke brought his hand up to his right shoulder. He had gotten one on the exact same day too.

Sasuke swallowed and got a hold of his overwhelming emotions. He tore his eyes away from the box and opened the book. It was a photo album, holding the photos of their childhood times.

There were so many photos, so many memories. Naruto, Sasuke and Kiba at the pool, Sasuke chasing a terrified Naruto and a laughing Kiba, Naruto with his head in the cake and Sasuke looking innocently from behind, Kiba and Naruto sitting on a grumpy Sasuke while doing a victory sign, the three boys eating ramen. Sasuke smiled at that one. Kiba and Naruto had noodles hanging out of their noses, while Sasuke looked as if he had fallen asleep in his bowl. That was the first time the raven had drank beer, and after being forced to drink one whole mug by the two boys, he had promptly fainted on his ramen bowl.

Each and every page held a different memory, a different story of their lives. Sasuke flipped the page and let out a shuddering breath he had held subconsciously. It was a picture of him, Naruto, Kiba and another two of their friends at the park. Kiba and the other two boys had marker drawings on their scowling faces while Sasuke and Naruto were trying to suppress their laughter.

A sudden thought came to Sasuke. He missed the old times, a lot. He missed being with those friends, he missed not having to care about the future, he missed just having fun, he missed the simple and carefree world he had left behind. He missed being able to smile a true smile, and laugh a real laugh.

"What are you doing?"

Sasuke nearly jumped, startled out of his thoughts. Guilt-ridden, he slammed the album shut and shoved it back into the box. Naruto sat down on the bed and stared accusingly at him.

"Were you snooping around?"

Sasuke tried his hardest not to show his embarrassment. "No, the box just caught my attention," he lied. "I accidentally kicked it. You should not have put it in that place anyway; anyone would be able to notice it."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Now can you just put my laptop back and push it back under the bed, where it belongs?" Sasuke frowned, but compelled anyway. Pushing the box, he could not help but feel the want to look at the items once again.

"Hey, Uzumaki, why didn't you use the…ramen voucher I gave you?" Naruto was silent for a while. Sasuke held his breath.

"I promised you I would treasure every gift, remember? They are the only things left of our…past. I could not bear to use it." Naruto let out a short laugh. "I remember telling Kiba that when I grew up, I would build a museum to display all that…Now the only place it can stay would be in this box."

Sasuke blinked, a long forgotten memory resurfaced.

***

_Thank you Sasuke! I'm gonna keep this picture forever! I would treasure every present you give me!_

_Hn, dobe. It would turn yellow and crack someday anyway._

_Teme! You are so pessimistic! If that's the case then I'll laminate it!_

_Whatever. I'm not drawing you another one if you spoiled it._

…_Sasuke, even if the paper turned yellow and cracked, you'll still be my best friend. That's why I would keep this forever!_

_***_

Sasuke turned away from Naruto. He should not have been in this situation. He should have already broken off all ties with Naruto. _I am such an idiot… _Being with Naruto would bring up these memories, and it was painful for Sasuke.

"It was a childish promise," Sasuke said softly, afraid that the blond would hear the quaver in his voice. He knew that he did not mean what he said, but he had to make a clean break. No questions or doubts.

Naruto balled his fist, anger began building. "At least I kept it."

The hidden meaning was clear. "You were immature. Such a stupid promise doesn't need to be real!" Sasuke shot back through clenched teeth. Immediately, he felt guilty at the hurt expression on Naruto's face.

"So that's what it was, huh? Just a stupid, fake promise," Naruto asked. Disappointment laced his voice.

"Naruto…" Sasuke wondered whether they were still talking about Naruto's promise.

"Get out," Naruto cut him off abruptly. "Get out, get out!"

Sasuke stood up without a sound and moved to the door. Naruto stood up shakily and followed. Sasuke walked out and took one last look at Naruto. The blond slammed the door shut, nearly hitting Sasuke's face.

There was a moment of hesitation. Sasuke sighed and leaned his forehead against the ancient door. The door knob was shaking slightly. He could tell that Naruto had not loosened his grip on the door.

"...Sasuke…"

The raven's ear perked up at the sound of his name.

"You're right, you know. It was immature of us. In the end, everything was just a dream. Just a stupid dream…" Naruto's voice broke a little at the end.

Sasuke closed his eyes in frustration. How had things become so fucked up? He clenched his fist and slammed it into the wall. "Fuck…"

Behind the close door, Naruto choked back a sob as a tear rolled down his cheek.

* * *

**A/N:**

**(1) KSC--Konoha Student Council. Get it?**

**(2) Okay…to clear up things, the shape in a Sharingan is actually called tomoe. You know, the comma-like shape. For your information, the tomoe was used frequently as a family crest (**_**kamon**_**) in feudal Japan. I think the Matsumata clan used a triple tomoe as their family crest. And for those who love Japan history, go read up on Tomoe Gozen. God, I love her. ;)**

**(3) Ok, so I don't know how to describe it. And saying that he pouted would be a bit weird at that scene. But basically the expression is the trademark Naruto pout. You know, nose and mouth sticking up in the air and stuff, yeah. Lol…**

**(4) Most Japan cabs are yellow Toyota Crown Comforts with black or blue strips across its sides. And most are automatic. As in the doors etc. close and open automatically. Lol, I did my research. :)**

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**Phew...that was one hell of a looooong chapter. And the only person I can imagine SIPPING beer is Itachi. So there!**

**Thank you to all who read and feel for my humble little fiction!**

**P.S. I know this chapter is a little cheesy/weird/whatever. :D –smiles– I'll try to avoid it in the next one. I'm still working on my horrible writing skills, so don't flame me on it. Give me CONSTRUCTIVE CRITISCISM. Lol. :D**


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